Matchmaker Niou
by zephyrdjinn
Summary: Niou conspires to be a matchmaker for his friends at Rikkai-dai in order to lift their spirits after nationals, more importantly to entertain himself Sweet pair
1. Love Confession Tree

**I do not own The Prince of Tennis**

 **rated T for mild swearing**

 **~O~~O~**

After nationals, Niou decided the Rikkai tennis team, especially the 3rd years who would be graduating soon, could really use a pick-me-up. Everyone seemed so lethargic and depressed lately! And, nothing puts someone in a better mood than going on a fun date, right? Well, watching his fellow teammates squirm as they get asked out on awkward dates would at least put him in a good mood.

The plan was to dress up as various people who might want to ask his teammates out. The first victim would be Marui. He was an easy target, because he was Niou's classmate, he already had someone with an obvious crush on him, and most importantly sweets could convince Marui to do anything.

That afternoon during class Marui found a pink note in his desk

~O~

 _Marui-kun!_

 _Meet me under the big tree today at 4:00! I have something realllly important to tell you._

 _Xoxo,_

 _Your secret admirer_

 _~O~_

Marui blushed and quickly crumpled the note up stuffing it back into his desk. He quickly glanced around the room to make sure no one saw him momentarily lose his calm, cool, genius composure. _Secret admirer? What the hell?_ The' big tree' was, hence the name, a big tree on the Rikkai-dai school grounds and also a famous spot for love confessions.

Marui looked around the room again trying to think of any girl who might be into him. But no one really came to mind. _Well, who ever it is, I'm not interested._

Niou tried not to snicker while watching Marui's funny little expression as he tried to work out just exactly who sent him that note.

That afternoon Marui arrived at the Big Tree just at 4:00pm. But he didn't see a girl. Instead he saw a familiar blonde boy bouncing up and down excitedly at his arrival.

"Marui-kun! You came! You really came!" Jirou/Niou shouted with glee.

 _Huh? Jirou-kun? What is he doing here? He doesn't even go to Rikkai, he can't possibly know about the love confession tree, can he?_

"Jirou-kun, that note, was it you?" Marui asked hesitantly. A little afraid of the answer.

"Yes! Marui-kun!" Jirou/Niou squealed. "Please, will you go on a date with me? Pretty, pretty please? I'll take you to the bestest cake shop ever, okay? And I'm paying! Please please plea-" Jirou/Niou begged.

Inside his head Niou was laughing at Marui's bewildered expression. But, he knew if he wanted this prank to work he needed to get Marui to agree quickly or else the self proclaimed genius would start figuring things out. Like how the note got in his desk at school. Or how Jirou knew about the love confession tree. Niou hadn't been super duper careful when planning this out, but he was betting on the fact that the promise of free gourmet sweets could convince Marui to do practically anything

"Okay, fine. I mean if you're paying, there's no way I can refuse right?" Marui laughed, grinning a toothy smile.

"Great! Let's meet at 1:00 on Saturday at the Oujisama Cafe" Jirou/Niou jumped up excitedly.

 **Success**

~O~O~O~

Unbeknownst to both Marui and Niou, a little seaweed headed boy had witnessed nearly the entire conversation from behind the bushes.

~O~

~O~

 **A/N:There is actually a love confession tree at the Rikkai-dai school campus**

 **Oujisama = Prince [The Japanese name for Prince of Tennis is Tennis no Oujisama]**


	2. Emergency Meeting

**I do not own The Prince of Tennis**

 **rated T for mild swearing**

 **~O~~O~**

Kirihara Akaya's House: 4:30pm

"…And then Akutagawa-san asked if Marui-senpai wanted to go on a date. He was all 'pretty pretty please' and THEN Marui-senpai said yes. He actually said yes!" Kirihara panted as he recounted the entire event to Yanagi.

"Hmm…this is interesting. According to my data Akutagawa has had a crush on Marui for quite some time, but it is too soon for him to be ready to ask Marui out on a date" Yanagi analyzed, scribbling something in a little notebook much resembling one of Sadaharu Inui's.

Just then the front door to Kirihara's house slammed open, revealing Niou. Niou sauntered in to Kirihara's house, without knocking, like he owned the place. Yanagi noted that little bits of blonde hair, maybe from a wig, were poking out of his bag. Strands of blonde hair were also attached to Niou's shirt. Things were getting interesting.

"Kirihara, I got your text about an 'emergency meeting,'" Noting the lack of people Niou added, "Where's everyone else? You texted, and I quote "Having a super important emergency meeting for the 3rd yr regulars rite now at my house!1! IMPOTENT!"

"Niou-senpai, it's pronounced 'important' not 'impotent' " Kirihara corrected, beaming inside at how much smarter he was than his senpai.

Niou scratched his head and sighed, "I know! But you wrote…never mind, just explain this 'emergency meeting' " Kirihara probably didn't even know the meaning of 'impotent'

"Umm, well I texted everyone, but Yukimura-buchou is busy at his beautification club or whatever, Sanada-Fukubuchou has his Kendo thingy (this was a lie, Kirihara never texted Sanada and didn't know what he was doing at the moment), and Yanyuu has Student Council…." Kirihara trailed off

"What about Marui and Jackal?" Niou impatiently inquired. What was the point of a meeting with 'all the third years' if only two of them showed up?

"I think Jackal-senpai took Marui-senpai to buy some sweets, but actually I didn't text them, because this meeting is about Marui-senpai." Kirihara hesitated before continuing, "I saw something really weird today afterschool! Even Yanagi-senpai agreed it was weird. Kinda a long story, but Akutagawa, that sleepy guy from Hyotei, asked Marui out on a date. And Marui said yes!"

Yanagi decided now might be a good time to bring up that blonde wig poking out of Niou's bag before Niou plotted his escape. Yanagi thought he had pretty much figured out what was going on, but he was never one to just give away the answers right off the bat.

"That's a very nice wig you have there, Niou" Yanagi commented casually, eyeing the wig poking out of Niou's bag.

Niou looked down to see the blonde wig he used earlier to impersonate Akutagawa sticking out of his bag. _Oh crap_

"Blonde wig? Why does Niou-senpai have a blonde wig?" Kirihara mused.

Yanagi watched attentively as the gears worked in Kirihara's brain in an attempt to figure out the big puzzle.

"Well, this was fun guys, but I've got to get going! My parents want me home for dinner" Niou tried to quickly make his escape out the front door.

"Not so fast, he's seconds away from figur-"

"OH MY GOD!" Kirihara screamed. "Niou-senpai just asked Marui-senpai out on a date! But senpai, if you wanted to ask Marui-senpai out, you should have just been yourself. Otherwise he'll get really confused." Kirihara reasoned, nodding his head and stroking his non-existent beard.

Well he _almost_ figured it out

Yanagi cut in to explain the situation, "Close, but no cigar Akaya. You're right it was Niou that asked Marui out on that date. But, Marui believes this person is Akutagawa Jirou. Now, the next step is for fake Maru, a.k.a. Niou, to ask out the real Akutagawa. Of course Akutagawa will say yes. Then, the real Marui and the real Akutagawa will go on their date."

"That's so confusing! And stupid! Why not just have the real Akutagawa ask the real Marui senpai on a date. Bam. Done." Kirihara clapped his hands together emphatically.

Yanagi interjected, "The chances of that happening right now are extremely low given the circumstances. At this point, the real Akutagawa would never dare to ask his idol on a date. As for the real Marui, he hasn't realized his feelings yet. "

"You mean, Marui-senpai like likes Akutagawa but he doesn't even know it? Woah." Kirihara opened his mouth in a big O shape, stunned at the new revelation.

"Precisely" Yanagi nodded. "In fact, I bet right now Marui is contemplating his feelings over a bowl of ice cream or some other type of confectionary. Most likely paid for by Jackal. Niou's prank may actually be the key in getting Marui to realize his feelings. "

"Wait, really? I was just bored. Puri" Niou shrugged.

"This is just like a manga! Please Niou-senpai lemme help!" Kirihara pleaded with big puppy eyes that even the stoic Sanada couldn't resist.

"No, Kirihara, this isn't a game!" Niou retorted, looking away from those puppy eyes.

Suddenly, Kirihara's sweet angelic eyes suddenly turned bloodshot and 'devil akaya' came out. "Lemme help! Or else!" Devil Akaya seethed.

~O~O~O~

Location: Ice cream shop

Time: 4:45pm

"And then," Marui explained to Jackal through a mouthful of cherry chocolate peanut butter ice cream. "There wasn't a girl at the love confession tree. Instead it was Jirou-kun, from Hyotei, asking me out on a date!"

Jackal was surprised. He didn't think Akutagawa would ever actually do it. " And what did you say?"

"I said yes…" Marui answered, but he quickly added, "But, Jirou-kun offered to take me to that really nice café that just opened, you know, Oujisama Café. He even said he'd and pay for everything, how could I say no?"

There was a moment of silence before Marui spoke up again.

"What? Do you think I should have said no?" Marui asked swallowing down another mouthful of ice cream.

"No, I think you did the right thing." Jackal reassured Marui. "You know, Akutagawa has had an obvious crush on you for a pretty long time. It probably took a lot of courage to ask you out."

"I know…but I don't feel that way about him" Marui said, setting down the spoon from his now finished cherry chocolate peanut butter ice cream.

 _I don't think I do anyways_

"Just humor him and go on one date. Then you can say it was fun, but you think you work better as friends and leave it at that." Jackal reasoned.

"Right. That's exactly what I was thinking!" Marui nodded confidently as he popped in a fresh piece of green apple gum in his mouth.

"That _is_ how you feel about him right? Just a friend?" Jackal asked, cocking his shiny bald head to the side.

"Of course, Jackal! What else would it be?" Marui winked, giving Jackal a playful thumbs up.

~O~O~O~

Kirihara Akaya's house: 5:00pm

After pleading with Niou to let him help on the 'mission', Kirihara had raced up to his room to gather important materials. Important materials included construction paper, kid scissors, and crayons.

While Kirihara was busy gathering supplies someone knocked on the door. Yanagi, being closest to the door went over to open it

"Oh, Yagyuu, we were under the impression you wouldn't be joining us. Kirihara said you had a student council meeting."

"Sorry for my tardiness. I was called here about an 'emergency meeting?' Where exactly is Kirihara?"

Niou walked over to his partner in crime. "He's gathering supplies for our mission. Well, I guess there's no harm in me telling you what's going on" Niou said as he explained the situation to his best friend ever, Yagyuu.

"Ah, I understand. These types of shenanigans are so typical of you, Niou" Yagyuu commented. "But why let Kirihara help?"

"He didn't give me a choice, he—"

Angel Akaya chose that exact moment to walk back over to the group, arms full of different colored construction paper, crayons, and he had even brought some sparkly stickers.

"Senpais, we can use this to make Marui's love letter to Akutagawa-san!" Kirihara beamed, his face full of joy and innocence.


	3. The Date Arrives

**I do not own The Prince of Tennis**

 **rated T for mild swearing**

 **~O~~O~**

~O~O~O~

1:00pm Saturday at Oujisama Café

Marui stood in front of the Oujisama Café, a little nervous, a little anxious, a little excited. He wasn't sure why he was feeling all these things. He had seen Jirou plenty of times before and never felt this way. Just because this was a so-called date didn't make things any different!

A loud "Marui-kun" brought Marui out of his daze.

"Marui-kun! Let's go inside" Jirou grabbed Marui's hand pulling him towards the doors

"Hi, do you have a reservation?" The waitress asked pleasantly.

"Yes! It should be under Marui!" Jirou beamed

"Oh, Marui? Right this way please"

 _Huh? Why is the reservation under my name? Unless, Jirou-kun is so obsessed with me that he would even go as far as to put the reservation in my name. This is weird. Actually a lot of things about this are weird. Like the fact that the note to go to the love confession tree was in my desk at school. How did he even get in? Is he like, stalking me or something?_

Marui was again pulled out of his thoughts by the pretty blonde boy sitting in front of him. "Hey, Marui-kun? Is everything okay? You look kind of pale" Jirou frowned.

"Sorry, I'm fine." Marui smiled, taking a sip of water. Maybe Jirou was slightly obsessed with him, but he didn't mind right now because he was about to get free cake. Free, very delicious and expensive cake!

Jirou suddenly blurted, "I was so excited when you asked me out! I….I never thought this day would come. hehe" Marui noted that Jirou's cheeks had a slight reddish tinge to them.

"I..you..what?" Marui spluttered incoherently. What exactly was going on?

Jirou took out the love letter from Marui placing it on the table. "You're drawings are so cute! I wanna hang it in my room, but Atobe said that's weird."

Marui looked at the love letter he had apparently written to Jirou. The handwriting was unmistakably his; even he couldn't see the difference. Marui started reading the letter and realized that, while the handwriting looked like his, the content did not sound like something he would write at all.

 _Dearest Jirou-kun,_

 _Every time I'm in your presence it feels like a golden ray of sunshine in my heart. For a while now I've felt like our friendship may be growing into something more. Do you, perhaps, also feel this connection? I would be much obliged if you would be willing to meet me this Saturday, 1:00pm at Oujisama Café for a date. I will treat you to some of the most decedent cake you have ever tasted._

 _Yours truly,_

 _Marui Bunta_

Piecing things together Marui was staring to make sense of his situation, and there was only one explanation for all of this craziness. The Jirou he met at the love confession tree, the note in his desk, and the reservation…

"Niou" Marui muttered under his breath. He was going to kill Niou the next time he saw him.

But, it seemed that this time Niou didn't act alone. Yagyuu, Yanagi, or both were also probably involved, as the letter seemed much to formal to have been written by Niou. Plus, it wasn't like Niou to use construction paper or crayons for a love letter. Not to mention all of the silly little drawings around the main body of the letter. Lots of tennis rackets, tennis balls with little hearts, cake. _Mmm Marui really wanted that cake now…_

Hey wait! Marui recognized those drawings anywhere. They belonged to none other than Kirihara Akaya.

However, what really had Marui fuming was that Niou lead him on like this! Marui was lead to believe that he would be enjoying decadent, delicious and free cake today! Now, he finds out Jirou received a letter suggesting he, Marui Bunta, is supposed to pay for the cake himself. The nerve!

Now how was he supposed to explain to the hopeful Jirou that it wasn't him that wrote that letter? And that he wasn't planning to pay. This place was expensive, and he barely had enough money for one slice of cake. Not to mention paying for another person's.

"Jirou-kun…I'm really sorry, but it seems that you've been caught in one of my teammate's pranks." Marui apologized

"What do you mean?" The clueless Jirou asked.

"Jirou-kun, it wasn't me who wrote that letter. Actually, I was under the impression that you asked me out." Marui said, explaining the whole situation with Niou pretending to be Jirou.

Marui swore he saw a flash of disappointment in the blonde boys eyes. But then Jirou simply said, "Awesome! Wow, the fake me is so brave! I'll have to thank him later!"

Only this guy would think someone pretending to be you and confessing to your crush is 'brave'

"You're not mad?" Marui asked.

"Not really, why should I be? Even if you don't feel the same way about me, we're still on a date right now, and that's what matters." Jirou said optimistically.

"And look, it's not that I don't want to be here, but I'm pretty sure some of my teammates are around here watch us. " Marui sighed.

"Oh, really? I don't see them" Jirou quickly looked around the café.

~O~O~O~

At a nearby booth four men in sunglasses and wigs sat sharing one lonely, expensive slice of cake

"Niou-sempai, why did you suggest such an expensive place? I want my own slice of cake!" Kirihara protested.

"I didn't think I would have company, dumbass. And, I wasn't planning on actually coming into the café, that was all your idea. 'oooh but Niou-sempai, I really wanted to try their cake' " Niou did a whiny imitation of Kirihara

"Shut up! I don't sound like that!" Kirihara snapped.

"Both of you be quiet, I'm trying to listen to their conversation" Yanagi scolded.

Yagyuu sighed wondering how he always seemed to get caught up in Niou's crazy schemes.

~O~O~O~

"…And, also, I know in the note you got it said I was buying, but this place is way out of my price range…I only agreed to come because I thought you were treating" Marui mentioned, casually

"Really? It's expensive? I didn't notice! Gosh, fake me shouldn't have suggested such an expensive place! Well, it's no problem, I have my credit card, so…" Jirou rambled

 _Right, Jirou is a rich Hyotei kid._

After ordering their cake, the two boys sat and had a very animated conversation about the awesome power of volleys and Marui's genius prowess. Besides the fact that Marui had the sinking feeling someone was listening in on every detail of their conversation, it turned out to be a really enjoyable time. He could even picture himself doing it again.

 _~O~O~_

The four men in sunglasses and wigs watched from their booth as Jirou and Marui got up to leave the café.

"What? It's over already? They didn't do anything. They just sat there and talked the whole time"

"That's called a date, Akaya" Yanagi informed.

"They didn't even kiss! How boring. You lied Yanagi-sempai, you said they both like like each other! And when two people like like each other they kiss. At least, that's what my older sister told me."

"Well, some people don't feel comfortable kissing in front of others."

"By 'others' do you mean us, perchance?" Yagyuu asked.

"That's stupid. I wanted to watch and make fun of Marui-sempai later!" Kirihara whined.

~O~O~O~

After their 'date' Jirou and Marui walked back to the bus stop together. Jirou was elated about his first 'date' with Marui, but Marui couldn't shake the feeling that someone or a couple of someones were watching him the whole time.

"Say Jirou-kun, do you want to maybe go on another date sometime…a real one. Without my teammates stalking our every move." Marui lightly suggested.

"Really? Are you serious right now?" Jirou couldn't believe his ears.

"Yeah, I know a much cheaper restaurant near my place we can go to, my treat" _Well, maybe my treat._

"Yahooooo!" Jirou fist pumped. Then Jirou excitedly bounced towards Marui and chastely kissed him on the cheek.

Okay, maybe Marui wasn't going to kill Niou after all.

~O~O~O~

After practice on the next school day Kirihara Akaya spotted a certain blonde someone waiting outside the tennis court gates.

 _Hmm…isn't that Akutagawa-san?_

"MARUI-SENPAI! YOU'RE BOYFRIEND IS HERE TO SEE YOU!" Kiriahara obnoxiously yelled across the courts

"Kirihara…He's NOT my boyfriend!" Marui corrected, walking over to Kirihara and Jirou.

"But I saw you guys-I mean I heard a _rumor_ that you guys had a date this weekend" Kirihara said emphatically.

"Oh you just 'heard a rumor' about—" Marui started

"Actually, I just wanted to give this to Niou-kun!" Jirou cut in, handing a small letter over to Marui.

"Don't tell me you actually took the time to write him a thank you note…" Marui rolled his eyes

"Duh, of course I did! See you Friday night, Marui-kun" Jirou waved goodbye with a big goofy grin on his face.

"Bye, Jirou-kun!" Marui waved back, sporting a similar stupid smile.

"Oooooh. Yanagi-sempai was right. You soooo like like him" Kirihara taunted.

"Shut up and give that note to Niou, Kirihara" Marui said thrusting the letter into Kirihara's hands.

~O~O~O~

 _Dear Niou-kun,_

 _Thank you very much for pretending to be me and asking Marui on the date. I think you are a very brave and kind guy. Without you I might have never gotten to go on a date with the amazing Marui-kun. I was so excited I didn't even fall asleep once on the date. By the way, Marui asked me on another date this coming Friday. We will see the new X-men movie and go to Jackal-kun's family restaurant._

 _Thank you again,_

 _Akutagawa Jirou_

 _~O~O~O~_

The thank you note was a rambled a little, but it was a nice sentiment. It made Niou feel something he didn't normally feel after successfully completing a prank. The normal elating thrill was gone, replaced with this funny warm fuzzy feeling.

"Niou, that's the feeling one gets after doing a good deed" Yanagi suddenly appeared out of nowhere

"Good deed?! I swear I wasn't trying to do that!" Niou denied.


End file.
